The Horror Show
Don’t Breathe
by Fede Alvarez
There is always something rather disturbing in home invasion horror, especially when it’s well-crafted and finely tuned. Fede Alvarez’s take on this type of horror toys with this premise with skill and flair, leaving the audience with a taste of satisfaction and with some images that will linger in our minds for quite some time.
Don’t Breathe depicts a seat-edge battle between three low-life crooks and a blind war veteran. Rocky (Jane Levy), Alex (Daniel Zovatto), and Money (Dylan Minette) are three young, desperate burglars with no serious prospects. As they are getting more and more consumed by the inadequate spoils of quickie jobs, Money stumbles on a possible life-changing crime opportunity. Deep in the desolate heart of Detroit, a big load of cash is hidden in the house of a seemingly helpless blind war veteran (Stephen Lang).
It seems like easy prey for the trio, but, once they find themselves trapped inside the blind man’s “fortress” things take a different turn. The victim becomes a victimizer and vice versa.
Alvarez did an awesome job considering it’s basically a dialogue-free movie. It takes great skill to fill the silences in an engaging manner and Don’t Breathe contains enough smart touches to remain powerful.
This means that Alvarez doesn’t hold back on the gore, and more importantly, offers some - or maybe just one - standout moments that can’t be unseen. And don’t let anyone spoil it for you and take the reaction of absolute repulsion away from you. By throwing witty new twists every now and then, Alvarez knows exactly how to keep the audience’s interest alive. Despite the fact that home invasion normally has a set formula, he manages to innovate exactly the right amount utilizing sound and light, creating a uniquely tense setting.
One of the film’s greatest strengths is highlighted in the main characters, Levy and Lang; both resourceful and convincing, both actors of great emotional power.
Of course, Don’t Breathe has its flaws. Some minor plot holes might make you think that the happenings are not quite realistic, but I don’t think that’s the point Alvarez wanted to make. Keeping in mind that the horror genre is completely overmilked, it’s always refreshing to see new ideas, yes, even flawed, making it onto the big screen. You should know that Don’t Breathe won’t give you any lasting nightmares, but after all, it’s a stylishly put together 90 minutes of tension.
Maria Kriva, HMS
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